High FOC woodies?

Orion · January 22, 2008, 10:11:00 AM

Dirty Bill: I'm using Wenge footings on my tapered cedar shafts. It's just as heavy as purple heart, maybe heavier. Can only reach 15% FOC with 160 grain head. More head weight would move it up, but not by more than a percentage point or two.

No doubt that the glue on and then screw in adaptors work. They've been around since at least the early 50s. They do cause a fairly substantial increase in the shaft diameter behind the head though, which will retard penetration a little, but certainly compensated by the additional point weight it enables.

SlowBowinMO · January 22, 2008, 10:27:00 AM

Orion, I think these are updated versions made by PDP. They mount exactly flush on a 11/32 shaft.

Now I'd like to see something like these in all steel coupled with a good footing.

Orion · January 22, 2008, 11:15:00 AM

SlowBow. Duh! I just looked at the pix (not very carefully) and assumed they were the old (untapered) style. So these puppies are tapered like a glue on point, right?

Could probably get another 20-30 grains by not stepping down the area that accepts the insert.

Steel adapters on a footed shaft. Wow! That would shoot through trees.

Anybody going to get in touch with the manufacturer to see if they might want to incorporate the modifications you suggest? I'm serious. Should be easy modifications to make. Who/What is PDP?

Orion · January 22, 2008, 11:30:00 AM

Might the arrow be more susceptible to breakage behind the insert than it would be behind a glue on point? It would seem that the added length of the insert would apply more leverage to snap the shaft right behind the insert on a glancing shot. Whaddayah think? The reason for the hardwood footing?

SlowBowinMO · January 22, 2008, 11:51:00 AM

Orion, yep these are tapered just like a field point or whatever.

I also agree, for my purposes I just soon see a straight taper for more weight and strength. Not sure about the leverage stuff, too deep for me. I just beat the stuffin' out of things and see how it works.

PDP is Precision Designed Products, they make all the glue on field points and steel screw in adapters so commonly available. I've been yakking with sou-pawbowhunter about this. He's looking into having a field point ground down to a glue on taper. Now that would be something, all steel and no screw in adapters either!

One thing I've noted, since you are boosting the spine to shoot the heavy points, you are adding strength to the wood shaft. A 70# cedar is stronger than a 50#. Hardwood footing would be stronger still.

Lots of possibilities, I'll be playing with this one for a while yet.

Lone archer · January 22, 2008, 12:23:00 PM

What about dipping the front of the arrow and not the rear end(besides to seal it) to get more FOC.

And better yet using some kind of liquid epoxy, like that used on fishing rod guides for strenght behind the point, whether footed or not?

Maybe even wrapping it behind the point like you do a guide on a fishing pole (I use to make my own surfcasters). But with some type of heavier thread?

All on a tapered arrows.

SlowBowinMO · January 22, 2008, 01:05:00 PM

I've dipped the front of cedars in Minwax wood hardener for a chemical "footing". I really can't say if it made the arrow stronger or not, but I figured it couldn't hurt.

killinstuff · January 22, 2008, 01:16:00 PM

Melt some lead into your broadhead and use a shorter taper on the arrow. Cut the lead and weigh it, melt it in a spoon with a torch, heat the broadhead up too and pour the lead. I'd weigh all the broadheads first and make a note of each one and adjust the amount of lead to get them all the same.

Orion · January 22, 2008, 03:18:00 PM

Slowbow: I like the idea of grinding down a field point. Might need to be made a little longer initially to still yield enough weight after grinding. With a little experimentation, they could be offered in several weights. And, when mounted, they would be shorter, almost invisible. Where do I place my order.

Killinstuff: How much weight can you add that way? I'm thinking 20-50 grains without filling up too much of the ferrule.

killinstuff · January 22, 2008, 04:17:00 PM

I think you could stick more then 50gr in an El Grande.

Bjorn · January 23, 2008, 05:25:00 PM

I'm doing the same as Orion. Ted at Raptor Archery is footing some shafting for me which will yield 17+% FOC with a 190 grain Grizzly. Total package 650-700 grains. Don't want to go higher with my 50# ACS, and the toughest animals I hunt are Piggies, so that should be a killer combo.

BlueBarred · January 24, 2008, 12:24:00 AM

Steel blunts might work. These come in 125 and 145 grain weights. Just drill and tap for the BH adapter and you got some good weight up front. Don't know how everything would flush out or how square the blunt is machined for good BH alignment, but might be worth looking into. I've been interested in this thread as I am wanting to go back to some wood arrows but want more FOC. Thanks for the ideas.

Paul Mattson · January 24, 2008, 08:26:00 AM

If anyone is interested. I also I have the wood screw-in adapaters on my website. My price is $5.75 for 6.

I like the ease a switching from target points to broadheads. Using the adapter with an aluminum foot, is one of the easiest ways to get more wt up front.

Dirty Bill · January 24, 2008, 01:06:00 PM

I've added lead shot to 3 field points to get them to 200 grains. I like the idea of melting the lead and adding it to the broadhead.

With a tapered shaft and a 200 gr.head,my foc should be over 15%.

By the way,shafts tapered at front and back are barreled shafts.

I'm going to use shafts tapered at the rear. I love experimenting. A heavy footing is also a possibillity.